Things to Do – NBC New York (47)

NEW YORK – The City of New York encourages all New Yorkers to protect themselves and their families from tick-borne diseases as summer approaches and people begin to travel and participate in outdoor activities, announced at the beginning of the month the Department of Health of the city.

The most common tick-borne disease diagnosed among New Yorkers is Lyme disease followed by anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

In 2021, 826 New Yorkers were diagnosed with Lyme disease, 125 with anaplasmosis, and 102 with babesiosis, compared to 2018, when 712 were diagnosed with Lyme disease, 106 with anaplasmosis, and 85 with babesiosis. Other tick-borne diseases, such as ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, and Powassan virus encephalitis, are rare but still occur.

In addition to human disease surveillance, the City also monitors and analyzes tick populations at various locations throughout all five boroughs.

“Summer is here and as New Yorkers enjoy the great outdoors, I encourage everyone to take some basic steps to prevent tick-borne illness,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Using tick repellant on yourself and your pets, wearing long pants when walking, avoiding tall grass, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors are all ways to keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy this summer.” .

“We want all New Yorkers to take advantage of the summer weather this year and get outdoors, but it’s important to remember a few basic precautions in areas where ticks may be present,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.

About Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases:

The majority of New Yorkers diagnosed with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis and ehrlichiosis, are residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn who become infected while traveling to surrounding areas, including Long Island and North of New York State, and other areas where blackleg (deer) and lone star ticks are well established. However, these ticks are also present on Staten Island and the North Bronx.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a skin rash that spreads over several days, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, or nervous system.

Tick ​​surveillance by the Department of Health continues to find the American dog tick in all New York City counties. The black-legged tick, which can spread lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis, is widely established in Staten Island and areas of the Bronx, such as Pelham Bay Park and Hunter Island, but not in other areas of New York.

Lone star and Asian longhorned ticks are also well established on Staten Island and parts of the Bronx and the Gulf. As the density of this tick has increased, the density of black-legged ticks has decreased. Lone star ticks can spread ehrlichiosis and have also been associated with a food allergy, especially to red meat, but Asian longhorned ticks have not been shown to transmit disease in the US.

Some Gulf Coast ticks found on Staten Island have tested positive for R. parkeri, which causes Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, but no human infections have been reported.

Learn more about ticks in New York City and the diseases they spread here.

Recommendations to prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases

Reduce your risk in the home: If ticks are present, create a tick-safe zone

• Know where ticks live, often in shady, moist areas at ground level, especially along forest edges and around old stone walls.
• Keep grass short and don’t allow clumps of weeds or leaves to accumulate.
• Trim bushes and tree branches around your yard to let in more sunlight.
• Create a barrier to define a tick-proof zone around your garden.
• Keep playground equipment and outdoor furniture in a sunny spot, away from patio edges and trees.
• Don’t skip foods that attract deer and other wildlife.

Repels, does not attract, ticks.

• Use an insect repellent EPA-registered containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 with a product label stating that it is effective against ticks (not just mosquitoes).
• Permethrin products can be used on clothing or shoes (but not on skin) to repel and kill ticks.
• Stay in the center of clear trails and hiking trails when walking in heavily wooded areas.
• Wear light-colored clothing to see ticks more easily.
• Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to prevent ticks from attaching to skin.
• Wear gloves when gardening.

After being outdoors in wooded, brushy, or tall grassy areas:

• Check your body and clothing for ticks and remove any ticks you find on yourself, your child, or your pet.
• Young ticks are very small (about the size of a poppy seed), so get help inspecting hard-to-reach areas. Be sure to look closely at areas of the body where there is hair, as it can make it difficult to see ticks. Adult ticks are about the size of an apple seed.
• Shower as soon as possible after coming indoors, preferably within two hours.
• Use hot water when washing clothes to kill ticks. If hot water cannot be used, tumble dry on low heat for 70 minutes or tumble dry on high heat for 40 minutes.
• Put dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks. Wet or damp clothes may need more time in the dryer.
• If you have a rash or fever, let your doctor know if you may have been exposed to ticks, even if you don’t remember having a tick bite.

Pets

• Ask your vet which flea and tick repellents are best to use on your pet. Repellents help protect your pets from tick-borne diseases and also protect pet owners, since ticks can enter the home on dogs, cats, and other pets.
• Dogs can also get sick from ticks. If you think your dog may have been bitten by a tick and you notice changes in your dog’s behavior or appetite, talk to your veterinarian.

For more information on the ticks click here.

OTHER RESOURCES ON TICKS IN SPANISH:

Here is a complete manual.

Here about ticks in gardens.

Here is a book in Spanish for children and their parents.

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